Kang Botswana – Trans Kalahari Highway

Kang is situated on the Trans Kalahari Highway in Botswana about 375Km from Pioneer gate border post (border with SA near Lobatse) and about 390Km from the Namibian border at Buitepos. Kang is in the Kgalagadi District of Botswana. According to the census in 2001, Kang had a population of 3,744.

Kang Trading and Pep store

Kang has become the preferred overnight stop for travelers traveling to Namibia or Northern Botswana from South Africa. Kang can also be considered the Gateway to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Via Hukuntsi form the Botswana side. See the article on traveling from Kaa Gate to Kang. The main road bypasses Kang, which lies to the East. There are two major filling stations on the main road, an Ultra Stop and a BP garage.

Central Kalahari Park is within 50Km of Kang, but despite being so close there is no access into the the park from Kang. There was talk of opening up access to the park from Kang about a year ago, but it looks like these plans have fizzled out for the time being. One needs to travel North towards Ghanzi or South towards Letlhakeng to get into the Central Kalahari Park.

Shops in Kang - Trans Kalahari Highway

Amenities in Kang
Banks:
There are no banks in Kang, but you can draw out money from a mini ATM at the Sefalana (Cash and Carry type shop) if their machine is working, or at the Ultra Stop filling station on the main road. Both of these places will limit you to what you can draw based on what they have in their till at the time.

Post Office and Internet Café:
The Post Office is found on the road that goes from the BP filling station into Kang on the right, just before you get to the tee junction at the end of the road. The Post Office has an Internet café. Just in case the Post Office can’t help for whatever reason, just behind the Post Office, to the west there is a little office that does faxing, photocopying, lamenting and has Internet access.

Kang Meat Market for fresh produce

Shops:
There are a number of small shops in the town center including a butchery, Pep store, hardware store, Motor spares, General dealer and a Cash and Carry (Sefalana). At Sefalana you can buy just about anything, including alcohol, except fresh produce. For fresh produce try “Kang Trading” next to Pep stores or “Kang Meat Market” on the opposite side of the road. Air time and Sim cards can be bought in a few places in town. Pep will give you air time from the till.

Clinic:
There is a well equipped Clinic in Kang, situated on the left as you arrive in the village from the BP filling station. As you arrive at the stop street you will see the clinic in front to the left where the gravel road starts. The Clinic has a couple of doctors, an ambulance and a maternity wing. The Clinic is equipped to deal with minor emergencies, but for serious problems you will be taken to the Hospital in Hukuntsi.

Eating out:
All the Lodges offer restaurants. In addition, The BP filling station has a nice “fast” food type restaurant (a bit like Nandos in SA). There is one or two little eateries in Kang village, Kang Kitchen next to Kang Meat Market and Paradise a few hundred meters down the road. Paradise makes nice pizza.

Wild Life Offices:
The Wild Life Offices are situated opposite the Clinic as you drive into town from the BP filling station. The staff there will assist you with booking for the parks in Botswana and other inquiries you might have. It is interesting that they will have to phone Gaborone if the book for you, but at least you can pay at their offices. They do have a speed point so you can pay by credit card.

Where to Stay in Kang Botswana – Trans Kalahari Highway

Kang offers a number of Lodges and a couple of camp sites, Echo Lodge, Kang Lodge and Kang Ultra Lodge to name a few.
Most of the accommodation is found near to the two filling station on the main road and are ideal if you want to be near all the “action”. Kang’s night life, if you can call it that, consists of a number of Bars that play African music until 10pm.
If it is peace and quite you want, then Kalahari Rest, 25Km North of Kang on the Trans Kalahari Highway, is the place to stay. Unlike the other accommodation in Kang, which are truly “one night” stop overs, Kalahari Rest is the type of place you can spend a few days recharging your batteries, while enjoying the peace and quite of the bush. Kalahari Rest offers bird watching, game drives and nature walks.
Contact details for accommodation are listed below.